we can eventually be free of the suffering originating in fear, anger, and selfishness. Then we are prepared to spread harmony from self to another person, progressing to our family, our community, our society, and the rest of the world. Based on this first harmony, the goal of is to actualize the other four Embracing Differences and harmonies. I would like to share with you some words about this fourfold spreading by my teacher, Venerable Master Hsing Yün, Sharing Commonalities the founder of the Fo Guang Shan Buddhist Order in and Harmony According to the Middle Way: a major propagator of Humanistic Buddhism. He has written and spoken during most of his life about ways to attain fraternity or The Humanistic Buddhism Perspective universal harmony. My master has been advocating the following Ven. Miao Hsi four perspectives on relational and social harmony. Fo Guang Shan 1. Buddhism Seeks Harmony between Self and Others, Not Confrontation Whenever there is confrontation, there will be conflict. We must ntroduction work on developing harmony among people. Peaceful fraternal re- On the subject of fraternity, a Buddhist synonym is “harmony.” lations are very important within the different communities, eth- IOn the basis of harmony within our own mind, we can contrib- nicities, racial groups, and religions of a society. ute to fraternity or relational harmony: harmony between self and At Fo Guang Shan in Taiwan, we conduct regular interfaith other, harmony within the family, harmony in society, and har- events. Cardinal Paul Shan was a great friend of Master Hsing mony or peace in the world. According to Humanistic Buddhism, Yün, and after the cardinal passed away some years ago, an inter- these five dimensions are considered the “five harmonies” for us to faith memorial service was held at Fo Guang Shan in , practice and actualize in our daily lives. Taiwan. Many of the attendees from around Taiwan visited Fo We begin with the first harmony within our own mind. We Guang Shan for the first time, coming together to offer their -re practice by cultivating harmony or peace within ourselves so that spects to a religious icon who had served the community for many decades. Claritas: Journal of Dialogue and Culture, Vol. 4, No. 2 (October 2015) 117–119 © 2015

CLARITAS | Journal of Dialogue & Culture | Vol. 4, No. 2 (October 2015) 117 2. Buddhism Seeks to Embrace Differences, Not Impose a family with four siblings cut the dining table into four parts in the Sameness that Everyone Must Adopt name of equality? No. It is crucial that they all act in accord with In this world, there are many different objects, ideas, traditions, their fraternal relations as brothers and sisters and with respect groups, and institutions. It is only natural that there would be a and love, supporting and accepting each other. Then they can ex- multitude of religions in the world. Just as we all have different perience harmony in the family, especially after their loved one family names and backgrounds, we of different religions can still has died. In the larger context of society, we should not exclude be friends who mutually support and kindly interact with each another person, or another community of persons, since they too other in the spirit of fraternity. Difference is necessary. Like the or our brothers and sisters. Would such exclusion be good for our clothes we wear, their different colors, styles, and designs bring communities and society? a kind of beauty to life. We certainly live in a colorful world! We cannot exist alone in this world. We need the support of Not being the same is truly very good, very beautiful. We ap- people from various fields, trades, and professions. We need farm- preciate flowers and plants because of their different colors, sizes, ers to grow our food and manufacturers to provide us with clothes and shapes. That should also go for people and all matters in and amenities like computers. Without others, how are we going the world. to survive? It is important to appreciate the significance of depen- dent origination and the Middle Way. Hence, it is critical for us to 3. Buddhism Recognizes the Middle Way, Dependent make positive fraternal connections based on broad affinities with Origination, and Mutual Respect for Each Other others. The Middle Way means being unbiased or impartial and not being polarized. It is difficult for most, if not all, people to accept -ex 4. Buddhism Seeks Peaceful Coexistence, Not War and Killing tremism on any matter. When we following the Middle Way, we Life is not just for our own individual existence. Everyone is inter- need to be courteous, responsible, and hard working. Living the dependent. Therefore, Buddhists do not advocate war and killing. Middle Way, we should not be cold and indifferent or overly pas- War only kills, injures, and displaces people as well as other liv- sionate. We should not be wasteful, even if we have a lot of money; ing beings, destroying beautiful places that people consider home. nor should we be tight-­fisted if we have too little money. Many people in the world have endured long periods of war. As a In understanding dependent origination, we can appreciate result, they have had to escape from destruction and killing with that a country or a family should not be divided or for any reason. no safe place to go. They live in endless suffering due to fear, hun- Just like the five fingers of our hand, they have to join together and ger, and diseases. The children have had to endure life without work in collaboration in order to be strong and useful. An example necessary schooling and the elderly without proper health care. To of dependent origination manifesting in daily life is the common attain social fraternity or harmony and peace in the world, Bud- occurrence of people fighting over their family fortune. Should a dhism wishes for the end of all wars.

CLARITAS | Journal of Dialogue & Culture | Vol. 4, No. 2 (October 2015) 118 Conclusion In understanding the philosophy of the Middle Way, we need to appreciate that this world is “half and half”: good and bad, male and female, day and night. While the Buddha’s world is half, the devil’s world is also half! We should work to spread benevolence in order to overcome malevolence. In spreading Humanistic Bud- dhism around the world, Venerable Master Hsing Yün holds no specific regional perspective. Instead, he advocates that we should all consider ourselves as “global citizens.” When he first arrived in Taiwan, he was called a “Chinese monk.” Upon returning to visit his home village in many years later, the locals called him a “Taiwanese monk.” So he believes that in living on planet Earth, every person is a member of one family—we are all brothers and sisters. As Pope Francis and Venerable Master Hsuing Yün say, this perspective must be the basis for world peace and mutual co- existence, now and into the future. And in the words of the Bud- dha: “In this world, hate never dispelled hate. Only love dispels hate.” It is only by cultivating love and kindness for ourselves and others that we can build peace and fraternity on earth.

Ven. Miao Hsi is senior nun at Fo Guang Shan’s His Lai Temple where she is also director of the Buddha’s Light Publishing. She has been involved in interreligious dialogue for over ten years and is active in outreach work for the temple in Los Angeles.

CLARITAS | Journal of Dialogue & Culture | Vol. 4, No. 2 (October 2015) 119